A SHORTAGE of neurologists at Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone, meant doctors took 13 days to diagnose what was wrong with a patient, an inquest has heard.

Marina Fagan, 51, died from a rare neurological condition, following numerous consultations and trips to the hospital, where she complained of severe headaches.

An inquest into the death of the Chingford mother-of-four, heard here were no neurologists on-call at the time of her initial admission to hospital, in September 2015.

Solicitor Andrew Harrison, representing her family, said: “Mrs Fagan continually presented at Whipps Cross with extreme and persistent headaches and yet she was not seen by a specialist neurologist or given an MRI scan.”

The inquest, held at St Pancras Coroner’s Court on April 22, heard Mrs Fagan, who had a family history of aneurisms, was admitted to Whipps Cross on September 17, 2015, after suffering severe headaches.

Investigations ruled out a brain haemorrhage and she was discharged on September 19, but returned to A&E later that day, as her headache persisted.

A second neurological examination showed no abnormalities and a recommendation was made that her GP referred her to the hospital’s neurology outpatients’ unit.

She was referred on September 24, but Mrs Fagan again returned to Whipps Cross the next day with headache symptoms.

She began to become confused, but it was not until September 29 that a clinical review found she had loss of vision and problems moving her eyes.

Finally, on September 30, an MRI scan showed she had Posterior Reversable Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) and despite supportive treatment, she died on October 6.

The inquest heard evidence from the neurologist, who eventually treated Mrs Fagan, that given her symptoms, an MRI scan should have been requested on September 19.

He also said input from a neurologist should have been requested after Mrs Fagan became confused and raised concerns that locally, there were insufficient neurologists to provide specialist care and that none were on-call at the time of Mrs Fagan’s initial admission to hospital.

The neurologist’s concerns were echoed by Mrs Fagan’s GP, who said the current waiting time to see a neurologist in the outpatient unit was 72 days.

Assistant coroner for Inner London North, Richard Brittain, has now sent a report to Barts NHS Trust, which is responsible for Whipps Cross, after concluding that although Mrs Fagan died from PRES - a condition that would not have been treatable - it could have been diagnosed earlier.

After the inquest, Mr Harrison, of law firm Hodge Jones & Allen, said: “Mrs Fagan’s family are hugely concerned about the time it took the hospital to diagnose such a severe and life-threatening condition.

“Although it is unlikely that early diagnosis would have prevented her death, it is clear from the coroner’s report that her case raises significant concerns about the shortage of neurologist cover in the Waltham Forest area.

“It is hoped that Barts NHS Trust will take immediate steps to address this serious issue.”

The Guardian has contacted the trust for comment.